Put yourselves in the shoes of employees and imagine being in a dull workplace with little to no emphasis on what you or your well-being wants. How would that make you feel? And would you be able to put your best foot forward in such a scenario?
We’re sure your answer was a resounding ‘no.’ A little empathy and further analysis will help you understand the downfalls of an unengaged workforce with plummeting productivity and revenues ranking high among them.
It’s no wonder employee engagement has caught the attention of companies across the globe. Countless organizations are diving deep into the subject and developing novel ways to keep their employees engaged and happy.
We’re going to walk you through some of the most useful employee engagement strategies in India.
What Are Employee Engagement Practices?
Employee engagement can be viewed as an accepted workplace approach that enables the creation of the right environment – one where each employee or at least most of them can perform and feel their best.
It is a scenario where your people are committed to the organization’s growth, values, and ultimately success. You can also refer to the phenomenon as a two-way promise between the company and its members or a relationship that’s based on mutual trust.
Employee engagement practices in this sense refer to all the efforts that a company puts into encouraging and empowering the best performance and morale amongst employees. It describes the activities that facilitate an emotional and mental connection the team members feel towards their work, colleagues, and the organization.
Let’s look at why employee engagement activities are important for organizations.
Why Is There A Need For Employee Engagement Practices In An Organization?
Employee engagement practices are so important because of the impact that they carry on the organization’s overall growth and projected success rate. The level of engagement amongst your team members determines the quality of their work which further has a bearing on the overall performance of the organization.
It’s therefore believed that engaged employees are the true assets of any company and employee engagement strategies, are the holy grail for organizations that are focused on growth.
Simply put, employee engagement strategies improve employee engagement. This leads to several advantages for organizations in the long term such as enhanced employee retention, improved work culture, and growing revenues.
Here are a few employee engagement ideas for Indian companies to kickstart your engagement strategy and see thriving results.
10 Best Employee Engagement Practices In India
1. Adopt a people-first culture
With the changing times, it is important to adapt and improve. Organizations should focus on building company culture with its people and their growth as the backbone. By doing so, employees will feel supported and respected for their hard work, which in turn, will help them to perform better at work.
2. Focus on work-life balance
A big reason employees feel miserable at the office is that they are overworked or unable to cater to their personal commitments due to a busy work schedule. To avoid this, organizations should embrace flexible working and even allow employees to work remotely or from home if and when possible. With the ability to strike a better work-life balance employees are bound to feel more engaged.
3. Embrace diversity and inclusion in the workplace
When people from different ethnicities and backgrounds come together, they bring in new and innovative ideas to the table. This can enable quicker and more efficient problem solving and thus help organizations enjoy better results. By embracing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, companies promote a better employee experience and a positive work environment.
4. Improve workplace wellness
It’s one thing to speak about the well-being of employees and another to take tangible steps in that direction. More so than ever, it has now become important to focus on the health and wellness of employees and facilitate it. This can be done by providing gym memberships and health insurance, arranging wellness-related seminars, and yoga and meditation classes at work.
5. Provide development opportunities
Another great way to ensure that your team members feel engaged is to offer ample opportunities to learn. Instead of a rat-wheel culture where they feel stuck in a routine, encouraging employees to hone their skills can do wonders for their morale. Companies can achieve this either by providing them with more responsibilities in their current profile or by extending educational courses or opportunities for higher studies that can help them excel further.
6. Introduce recognition programs
Being recognized can feel wonderful and is a solicited way to increase employee satisfaction and trust. Organizations can therefore look at introducing a recognition program at work that targets employee recognition and rewards the right behaviors.
7. Engage in team-building activities
Feeling a sense of belonging at the workplace is an important factor in driving employee engagement. To this effect, employers should devote time and energy in designing and implementing unique and fun team-building activities. For instance, a great team-building activity can be a hike or camping in the woods. This is a unique experience and can also work in the favor of improving employee well-being.
8. Offer optimum employee benefits
Another certain way to ensure that employees feel engaged at work is to offer employee benefits. However, these go over and above the standard and mandatory inclusions such as provident fund and general insurance. Employers nowadays need to innovate and provide perks that are in line with employee expectations. Some lucrative employee benefits include mental health support, an ergonomic office set-up, gift cards and bonuses, etc.
9. Have a feedback system in place
Ask yourself whether your employees feel heard. If you sense that they don’t, it’s time to act on it. Bring in a feedback system that works both ways – one where you can provide honest guidance and criticism to your employees all while allowing them to also express themselves and their thoughts about organizational practices. This enables the creation of a positive atmosphere where the company as well as its people can thrive and grow.
10. Bring in the best of technology
While this may sound a tab bit absurd, using the latest technology at work can enable a better employee experience. This can facilitate higher employee engagement and ensure that companies succeed in creating a happier workforce that performs optimally. To this effect, think along the lines of including AI, machine learning, and the latest technology at work. Further, don’t forget to train your employees on these tools, thus enabling them to become more efficient in their day-to-day routines.
How Loop Can Enable Organizations To Drive Employee Engagement
By using the best employee engagement practices in India as mentioned above, organizations can benefit immensely and also lead the way by example. Collectively speaking, we need a human connection more than ever and companies can provide this by listening to their employees and prioritizing their needs at work.
At Loop, we have the wellbeing of our members on the highest pedestal. That’s why our health offerings include a range of employee benefits such as mental health counseling, access to wellness sessions, and more at zero cost. Our health insurance policies are also customizable and can be availed at affordable rates.